NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT


To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:   Thursday, August 3, 2000

ALMANAC

On this date in 1907, the sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens died at 
Aspet, the country estate in Cornish, New Hampshire, where he had 
lived and worked since 1885. It is now Saint-Gaudens National Historic 
Site.

INCIDENTS

00-444 - Acadia NP (ME) - Death of Campground Volunteer

Campground volunteer Robert Larson, 64, died of a cardiac arrest while 
hiking on a park trail on Tuesday afternoon. Larson and his wife, 
Allie, had been doing trail work with other volunteers prior to his 
heart attack. Group members had taken a break from working on the Man 
O' War trail and were hiking back up to the work site when Larson 
suddenly collapsed. CPR was immediately started, but medical care 
could not reach Larson for 25 minutes due to the remoteness of the 
location. Although this was the couple's first season at Acadia, it 
was their third season as campground VIP's, having previously 
volunteered at Arches NP and Joshua Tree NP. Condolences may be sent 
to A.L. c/o Acadia NP, PO Box 177, Bar Harbor, ME 04609. 
[David Buccello, CR, ACAD, 8/2]

00-445 - Yellowstone NP (WY) - Lightning Strike with Multiple Injuries

Park dispatch received a 911 call at 10:45 p.m. on August 1st 
reporting that lightning had hit a large lodgepole pine between two 
campsites at Bridge Bay and that 13 campers had been injured. A ranger 
in the area was on scene within minutes. Three of eight people in 
tents at the campsite located closest to the lightning strike were 
transported to Lake Hospital and treated for minor injuries; two of 
five campers who had been sitting by their campfire at a second site 
were treated at the scene and refused additional medical attention. 
One said that he was knocked off his feet by the strike. All 13 
reported that they felt electricity from the lightning run through 
their bodies. The entire rear and side windows of a vehicle parked 
near one of the campsites were blown out, and a 40-foot section of the 
tree landed inches away from a tent occupied by three visitors. 
Additional debris from the strike was scattered in a 50-foot radius 
around the point where the lightning hit. [Public Affairs, YELL, 8/2]

                 [Additional reports pending...]

FIRE SITUATION

NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS LEVEL - Level V

CURRENT SITUATION

Twenty-seven new large fires were reported yesterday throughout the 
West; containment goals were reached on another dozen. Dry lightning 
and very heavy initial attack were again reported, this time in 
southern California, Nevada, Utah and Arizona. Moderate initial attack 
occurred in New Mexico, western Colorado, Idaho and Montana. Many 
holdover fires from previous days' lightning strikes are being 
discovered. Firefighters are keeping a majority of new starts in the 
initial attack phase; for example, only 17 of the 377 new fires 
reported on Tuesday escaped initial attack. 

An area command team is managing the large fires in the Bitterroot NF; 
another area command team is assigned to the large fires in the 
Beaverhead-Deerlodge NF. Priorities for fires in the northern Rockies 
and Great Basin are being established by multi-agency coordinating 
groups.

The following resources were committed nationwide as of yesterday 
(changes from yesterday's numbers in parentheses): 686 crews (+ 152), 
3,619 overhead (+ 395), 1,090 engines (+ 246), 168 helicopters (+ 1), 
and 11 air tankers (+ 5). All civilian resources have been committed. 
An Army battalion has arrived at the Burgdorf Junction Fire; an 
advance party from NIFC will travel to Camp Pendleton (CA) today to 
brief the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, with training beginning 
tomorrow.

Very high to extreme fire danger indices were reported in many areas 
all eleven Western states.

This is an abnormal fire season because: 1) the monsoons have yet to 
shut down the fire season in the Southwest; 2) most geographic areas 
are showing fire indices well above historical averages, with many on 
track to set new all-time highs; 3) more than one geographic area at a 
time is experiencing severe fire conditions; and 4) most of the West 
will experience an extended season.

[For more national fire news, go to www.nifc.gov/fireinfo/nfn.html, 
which also provides links to web sites for specific fires]

NPS FIRES

Great Basin NP/Humboldt-Toiyabe NF (NV) - Phillips Ranch Fire: 1,275 
acres, 25% containment, 75 FF/OH. The fire continues to torch within 
the interior, but received some precipitation on Wednesday.

Grand Canyon NP (AZ) - The Hakatai Fire was started by lightning on 
August 2nd and is partially lined at 18 acres, with unchecked fire 
line below the rim in Dutton Canyon.

Saguaro NP (AZ) - The lightning-caused Devils Fire started on August 
1st and was reported by a commercial airline. The fire has burned 20 
acres. Containment is expected today.

SIGNIFICANT NON-NPS FIRES 

Montana 

Helena NF - Canyon Ferry Complex Fires: 40,342 acres, 40% containment, 
Type I and Type II teams, 1,231 FF/OH. Significant progress has been 
made in constructing dozer and hand lines. Firefighters have been 
joined by 246 Army and Air National Guard personnel, now receiving 
final training.

Bitterroot NF - Valley Complex Fires: 10,000 acres, 0% containment, 
Type I team, 172 FF/OH. Most fires are unstaffed. Structure protection 
is in place, an area evacuation remains in effect.

Bitterroot NF - Blodgett Trailhead Fire: 1,700 acres, unknown 
containment, Type II team, 130 FF/OH. The fire is running toward the 
northwest; retardant and helicopters have been used to keep it from 
moving east toward about 50 structures. Evacuations have been ordered 
for the area between Blodgett and Mill Creeks.

Beaverhead-Deerlodge NF - Cougar Creek Fire: 3,880 acres, 40% 
containment, Type II team, 403 FF/OH. Fire activity increased in the 
afternoon.

Lolo NF - Monture/Spread Ridge Fires: 14,500 acres, 0% containment, 
Type I team, 345 FF/OH. The south side of the two fires are being 
prepared for a burnout operation.

Utah

Wasatch-Cache NF - Logan Complex Fires: 790 acres, 50% containment, 
Type II team, 112 FF/OH. About 15 structures are threatened. Neither 
of the two fires in the complex has grown significantly.

Wasatch-Cache NF - Wasatch Complex Fires: 3,246 acres, unknown 
containment, Type I team, 401 FF/OH. Crews and dozers are building 
fire line between Alpine City and the wilderness boundary to assist in 
structure protection. Some spot fires have occurred.

Fishlake NF - Oldroyd Complex Fires: 57,054 acres, 30% containment, 
Type I team, 704 FF/OH. All fires are burning actively, with both 
short- and long-range spotting. Residences in four communities and two 
counties are threatened. 

Idaho

Salmon-Challis NF - Clear Creek Fire: 95,000 acres, 30% containment, 
two Type I teams, 670 FF/OH. Fire growth has been slower due to a 
stable atmosphere, but the fire continues to make major acreage 
increases on the southern perimeter. 

Salmon-Challis NF - Twin Creek Fire: 494 acres, 95% containment, Type 
I team, 538 FF/OH. Fire personnel are providing initial attack and 
support for numerous new lightning starts. The fire is exhibiting 
extreme behavior and moderate to high rates of spread.

Upper Snake River District - Eastern Idaho Complex Fires: 192,200 
acres, 60% containment, Type I team, 637 FF/OH. The complex includes 
14 fires. Significant progress has been made on containment of all 
fires.

Payette NF - Burgdorf Junction: 15,623 acres, 44% containment, Type I 
team, 1,268 FF/OH. The 3rd Battalion, 16thField Artillery will be 
integrated into operations tomorrow.

Clearwater NF - Crooked Fire: 1,500 acres, 10% containment, Type II 
team, 446 FF/OH. Highway 12 has been closed due to smoke. Firefighters 
are trying to keep the fire from crossing the highway. Personnel were 
pulled from the fire line after the fire spotted half a mile toward 
the east.

Wyoming

Bridger-Teton NF - Boulder Fire: 2,000 acres, 0% containment, Type II 
team, 73 FF/OH. The fire is 15 miles east of Jackson in the Gros 
Ventre Wilderness. Very active fire behavior has been observed, with 
short- to medium-range spotting and rapid rates of spread. Structural 
protection of 35 residences and cabins is the top priority for crews.

Nevada

Nevada Division of Forestry - Arrowcreek Fire: 2,475 acres, 80% 
containment, Type I team, 237 FF/OH. The fire is on the southwest edge 
of Reno. Numerous structures are threatened. Air tankers and two 
National Guard Chinooks were effective in checking the fire's spread 
yesterday. 

Arizona 

Tonto NF - Peak Fire: 1,000 acres, 15% containment, Type II team, 347 
FF/OH. The fire is burning in dense chaparral and mixed conifer six 
miles south of Globe. Numerous summer homes, a lookout tower, 
recreation areas and endangered species habitat are threatened.

California

Riverside Ranger Unit, CDF - Pechanga Fire: 5,722 acres, 15% 
containment, CDF and USFS Type II team, 1,794 FF/OH. Thunderstorm 
activity yesterday caused intense winds and extreme fire behavior. A 
CDF engine was burned over and four firefighters were burned.

Sequoia NF - Manter Fire: 72,228 acres, 40% containment, Type I team, 
1,704 FF/OH. The northern flank of the fire is burning actively. 
Firing operations in the Bald Mountain and Sherman Pass areas have 
been successful. 

[For a listing of all fires, see www.nifc.gov/news/sitreprt.html] 

OUTLOOK

NICC has issued three FIRE WEATHER WATCHES - the first for dry 
thunderstorms, low RH and gusty winds in southeast Idaho, the second 
for strong gusty winds and low RH in all of Montana, and the third for 
gusty winds and low RH in southwest Oregon.

[NICC Incident Management Situation Report, 8/3; NIFC Morning 
Briefing, 8/2; NPS Situation Summary Report, 8/2]

CULTURAL/NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

No submissions.

INTERPRETATION AND VISITOR SERVICES

No submissions.

OPERATIONAL NOTES

Commemorative Badge - Response to the offer of the Commemorative 
Millennium Park Ranger Badges was surprisingly strong.  Approximately 
3,000 of the badges were ordered.  Most of those badges will be 
shipped in time to be worn on the uniform from Saturday, August 19th, 
to Sunday, August 27th, the week surrounding Founders Day (August 
25th).  Orders that were received beyond the June 10th deadline will 
be shipped but will likely not be received prior to late August.  This 
is the only time the millennium badge will be authorized to be worn on 
the uniform.  Interest has been sufficient to request a second 
offering of the badge for those who missed the first opportunity.  A 
new order form with a different ordering address will be released 
shortly to all parks and offices from Ranger Activities, thereby 
providing an opportunity for those employees who missed the first 
order to obtain a badge as a collector's item. Those order forms 
mailed to the FOP will be returned.  No government funds may be 
utilized to purchase the badge.  Orders will be accepted if mailed by 
August 31st.  The second order of badges will probably be shipped in 
September.  For further information, contact Dwayne Collier (SOAR) on 
cc:Mail.

MEMORANDA

No submissions.

INTERCHANGE

No submissions.

PARKS AND PEOPLE

Colorado NM (CO) - Superintendent Steve Hickman will be retiring at 
the end of July and plans to remain at his residence in Palisade, 
Colorado. A retirement party is planned for the evening of August 
31st. Please contact Lisa Claussen at 970-858-3617 or via cc:Mail for 
further information. Stephanie Dubois, chief of interpretation at Glen 
Canyon NRA, is serving as acting superintendent. 

                            *  *  *  *  *

Distribution of the Morning Report is through a mailing list managed 
by park, office and/or regional cc:Mail hub coordinators.  Please 
address requests pertaining to receipt of the Morning Report to your 
servicing hub coordinator.  The Morning Report is also available on 
the web at http://www.nps.gov/morningreport

Prepared by the Division of Ranger Activities, WASO, with the 
cooperation and support of Delaware Water Gap NRA.

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